Interest Check: College or High school Hero-in-Training Game [M&M 3rd]


Recruitment


I've had plans and ideas for a character-focused school setting for a heroes-in-training game. However, one particular detail I'm stuck at is deciding if it will be based at a high school or college age.

Since I'm planning to run it here, I'm running an interest check to see if there are folks eager to play in such a game, and what their preference will be.

If you're interested in playing, please note your preference and what kind of character you're considering. For those new to the system, you can find most of the rules online at this link.


For what it's worth, I think College would work a bit better. That opens up character options (international students are easier) and interests (choosing a major can be part of character development), and in a free-form game, I always find flexibility to be handy. ^^

Scarab Sages

Color me interested in a college age game. I've not played this system before, but I'll peek at the rules and see if my idea can work in the system.


Both are interesting, but I prefer High School. It has a little more of the feel of being in way over your head.

Choon wrote:
Color me interested in a college age game. I've not played this system before, but I'll peek at the rules and see if my idea can work in the system.

M&M is really flexible. Once you know the modifiers, you can do a lot of things with it.


I'd be interested in either one, leaning towards college
College Idea - Jack O'Brian (Jack O'Latern) Flame projector from his eyes. Absorbs Energy.
High School Idea - Jay Park (Jurassic) Shapeshifter - currently limited to dinosaurs


I’d be interested in a college age game as well... have a couple of concepts for just that setting....

Owner - Gator Games & Hobby

Haven't poked M&M for a while, but I'm envisioning a character loosely inspired by Shadowcat/Jubilee. Specifically that they bummed around as the teenage sidekick to a major hero/team, but have recently been (as they see it) demoted to this team.

Power set is flexible, but I'm currently leaving towards more skillful than superpowered. I think either college or highschool work, with a slight lean towards college.

Oh, are you thinking any preexisting setting?

Scarab Sages

Right now my concept is kinda... special? He's a former weapon who was experimented upon and given strong tepekinetic and telepathic abilities. Unfortunately the process also burned out his visual cortex and he is blind. However, he has adapted his abilities to compensate for his lack of vision. I guess you could say he is vaguely Daredevil in that regard, save that his hearing is normal. He uses a very faint but sensitive telekinetic field to "see" his surroundings as if telekinetically "touching" everything within a certain radius (undecided).
I'm still digging through the rules to see if that's even possible.


I'm totally interested. High School or College both work. I'm playing in a M&M F2F High School game so I'm fairly familiar with the ruleset now. My idea would be a Super Sentai/PR type of character. He'd have decent skills in human mode but all his superpowers are gated by having to morph.

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Rulebook, Starfinder Society Subscriber

I've never played a M&M but love trying new systems of table-top. If newbs are welcome.


I'm interested in either. College has the advantages Rednal pointed out, but the constraints of a high school environment work as a potential obstacle too.

My character would be something like a human-shaped lightning bolt. Fast as hell and can travel along electrical lines or through metal objects and overload people's nervous systems but can't come in contact with large bodies of water without spreading through it and having to reconstitute himself.


What books are you allowing? If I go in, I'd say either highschool or college would work. The character would probably be a paper user, ala Read or Die.


Wow, looks like there's plenty of interest.

To answer some questions:
-The setting is homebrew (though if I had enough money for the Emerald City guide that might have been a possibility). I'll clarify more details when I post an actual recruitment.
-Newcomers to the system are always welcome, I just ask that you put in the effort to learn the system.
-As far as materials allowed, I believe that anything from the core players rulebook and the Hero High book is allowed, which should include everything on the SRD.

It seems most folks want college-age shenanigans, so I think we'll go with that route for now. I'm just gonna let you all know right now that I'm leaning for more campy fun than grimdark drama, but there's room for both of course.

Anyway, I'll get a recruitment up before the week is done, look forward to seeing you all there.


Is this going to be a mundane university with some superstudents or a college for training superhumans?

What PL are you thinking of? Is it goingt to be the standard 15 pt/pl or are you doing them separately?

Scarab Sages

I think I'll be playing off the Psychic chassis, though I'm still learning what all these game terms mean. I may have to edit a few things to get it to match my concept.

Scarab Sages

Huh... this is complicated...
I'm having a time just looking up what all the words mean. That site is less than optimally accessible to new people.

Edit: Using the search option to check for individual modifiers instead of the powers themselves has yielded much better results.


If you/anyone needs help, you can PM me. It is a little confusing.

Scarab Sages

I'm gong to try to put it together and post it here for others to learn from, if you don't mind.


For what it's worth, I have an existing character from a game that died that I might submit. XD Overall, the character is very modern about a lot of things. They assume trying to hide their identity is pointless in the information age, and instead want to have a positive reputation.

Scarab Sages

Wow. That suite of abilities is... More powerful than I was expecting.

Will an expected theme or power range be set forth?


Well, the GM might decide to do something else. XD This character also got a few extra points from adventures, so they're a bit above the strength of a 'base' PL 10. I'd likely need to remove some things.


So, people who are more experienced at this, within this system, how would I do the following :

Paper Controller :
Powers :

1) Sense Paper (360 degree unusual sense, analyze paper, detect paper, read paper, only sees paper, so walls don't exist, people don't exist, but the paper in their wallet would for example, etc)
2) Confetti Bomb : Fill an area with confetti (mostly a minor ability, maybe a penalty to perception for visual senses)
3) Paper Constructs : Ability to build a construct to fly on, or one to fight someone, or build a sword, or a shield, all requiring paper.
4) Paper Defenses : Paper coating over body, or a wall around the user.
5) Move Paper : Telekinesis to use paper to either move paper, or move other things with paper.

Note : I'll have access to the books tomorrow or friday, but want a head start on what to look for in those books.


In M&M, it's best to draw a distinction between mechanical effects and how you choose to flavor things. For example, your Paper Defenses would probably be some sort of Protection (raises Toughness), while Paper Constructs would be a Summon effect. The Confetti Bomb feels like an Affliction with the Area (Burst) effect, maybe with a range penalty to make it smaller. The system is quite flexible, so look for powers that sound close to what you want and build from there. ^^

You can see an example of this in Atsuko's profile, under her powers. There's the name of the ability - alien whatever, eldritch yada-yada - and then there's the actual effect (damage, teleport, protection), which is what it actually does. Most powers can have modifiers - bonuses or penalties that raise or lower its overall cost and make it closer to what you have in mind. For example, Atsuko's regeneration effect has the Noticeable penalty, meaning it's very obvious that she's healing.

Grand Lodge

Think it might be interesting to play a character who is a natural intellect (aka Intuitive) who is also a bit of a cyborg after losing an arm. Might even make him height challenged.


I'm used to champions, the power set above is very easy in Champions (HERO) to build.

Unusual Sense, Analyze, 360 degree : Sense Paper 30 pts
Confetti Bomb : Alter Environment, -1 OCV, 20 meter radius 20 pts (cheaper with a focus limitation, paper)
Paper Constructs : Multipower with multiple power slots, usable one at a time : Flight, Hand-to-hand Killing Attack usable at range, Ranged Killing Attack, Energy Blast
ForceField or Armor with focus for defenses
TK : Focus (Paper).

And you can do this as a starting character without too much difficulty (I recently built this character as an NPC in my PBP game).


Basically what Atsuko said. Every power is modular so you can make any super power you want.
Below is probably what my character will be like depending on power level. Some of the numbers in parenthesis only apply when he is morphed.

Iron Dragon Ranger:

Power Point Totals: 130/130
Abilities: 40 Powers: 45 Advantages: 12 Skills: 23 Defenses: 10
Strength: 2(8) Agility: 2(6) Fighting: 2(6) Awareness: 4(8) Stamina: 2 Dexterity: 2(6) Intellect: 6 Presence: 0
Hero Points: 1 Power Points Earned: Power Points Spent:

DEFENSE
Dodge: 4(8) Parry: 4(8) Fortitude: 8 Toughness: 2(8) Will: 4(8)

Unarmed +4(+8) DC17(23)
Blaster Pistol +10 DC 20
Dragon Breath DC16 Dodge for Half, DC21

Powers and Devices
Alternate Form(Heroic)(Standard) (-2 points)
Dragon Breath(6)(10 points)(Area, 60 Foot Cone)
Enhanced Trait(Strength) (+6) (4 points)
Enhanced Trait(Agility)(+4)(2 points)
Enhanced Trait(Fighting)(+4)(2 points)
Enhanced Trait(Dexterity)(+4)(2 points)
Enhanced Trait(Awareness)(+4)(2 points)
Leaping(4)(120 feet)(2 points)
Protection(+6)(4 points)
Regeneration(5)(3 points)
Ranged Damage(Blaster Pistol)(+5)(4 points)(easily removable)
Ranger Senses (+8)(Acute)(2)(Analytical(2)(Radio)(1)(Time Sense)(1) (Ultra-Hearing)(1)(Ultravision)(1)
Speed(4)(2 points)(500 feet)(30mph)

Skills:
Acrobatics: +8(+12)
Close Combat(Unarmed): +4(+8)
Expertise(Science) +12
Insight: +8(+12)
Investigation: +12
Perception: +12(+16)
Ranged Combat(Blaster Pistol): +6(+10)
Stealth: +6(+10)
Technology: +12

Advantages:
Accurate Attack
Defensive Attack
Equipment(2 points) (Motorcycle)
Evasion(2 points)
Improved Initiative(1 point)
Interpose
Instant Up
Move-By Action
Takedown(2 points)

Complications: Heroic Form(Activation), Motivation(Honor)


Official Recruitment is up here. I hope you find the challenge fun rather than constraining. Hope to see you all there.

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